A former UFC champion has similar sentiments about Ilia Topuria as Justin Gaethje. Gaethje dethroned Topuria on June 14 at UFC Freedom 250. “The Highlight” broke Topuria’s nose and both orbital bones and also shattered his foot.

After 20 minutes, the 29-year-old’s corner decided to stop the bout, as Topuria was not fit to continue for another five minutes.

WASHINGTON, DC – JUNE 14: Justin Gaethje strikes Ilia Topuria of Spain in the UFC lightweight championship fight during the UFC Freedom 250 event on the South Lawn at the White House on June 14, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

“What do I think about it? I don’t think Topuria deserves it. It was a great fight, but he made you quit. Let’s get you another fight. Paddy Pimblett’s right there; I think the Paddy Pimblett fight makes the most sense.”

Check out Belal Muhammad’s comments about Ilia Topuria below:

Dana White says Ilia Topuria is “ready” to return

On The Jim Rome Show, Dana White stated that Ilia Topuria is ready to return, and White likes the idea of a potential Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje 2 title rematch or a potential grudge match between Topuria and the latter’s archroiva Paddy Pimblett. He said:

Topuria is ready to fight; we’re ready for him. Both [the Gaethje fight or Paddy fight] sound good to me. The rematch with Gaethje is incredible. A Paddy Pimblett fight is amazing.”

Check out Dana White’s comments about Ilia Topuria below:

Topuria, on the other hand, has returned to training most recently. He also broke his social media hiatus earlier this week and spoke about how the Gaethje loss, his first loss as a professional mixed martial artist, has only helped him evolve to become better and stronger.

Subham

Subham is a writer and editor with experience spanning MMA, Health & Fitness, true crime, and pop culture. He has previously worked with Sportskeeda MMA, SK True Crime, and SK Pop, Movies, and Shows.
He currently covers the UFC for LowKickMMA and MMA Pros Picks.